The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-04-29

who have beautiful forms and faces and costly
to be the companions OF the angels2
II heaven vast assemblagc OF brave knights
ana fair ladies, and an eternal parade of silk
and gold lace, or Gods glorious
kingdom where shall dwell no unrighteous-
nessy
When will the world learn that neither pow
erty nor wretchedness Is a necessary sign of
mcanness, either In mind or morals =?
Upon the fearful night of the abdIcation of
James II, In ship that was crossing the
English channel, was pale and beautiful wo-
man, disguised as Logger, and living sick and |
exhausted upon the floor Of the deck. No one
knew her Her apparent poverty condemned |
her. She was In the presence of men and |
women Of rank and fortune, who insulted and |
dcspised her. The morning light revealed |
that the strange passenger was none other |
than Maria, the wife of next To Charles l. |
Englanhs most unfortunate sovereign.
So do we appear To each other under u mul-
titudc of disguises. Often are we better than
we seem Ia be, seldom are we worse. Fortl-
nate Is the man who detects, ana blessed is he
who chcrishcs and commends the virtues of
his friends, who, through all their faults, In
every hour of disaster and trial, sees the
golden thread that links them To himself.
Down beneath the differences In wealth, in-
tiuencc ana social position. il II plane on which
every man IL on n level with his brother. In
that marvellous inwrought experience In the
domain Of which the slave has as much freedom
aS his master, among the intricate and close
~ knit hbers of the souls unspoken thoughts
sometimes too eloquent for words, and too
delicate t0 endure the rough touches Of the
worlds indifference, In this great internal In
wrough experience beyond the reach of con-
quernr King, all men are essentially equal
The differences among men are greatly magni
tied 10y the pride and conccit of indiv idiials,
aud 10y conditions of society that are us I'M
natural as they are false and artificial. Dis
tinctions are made that have no foundation In
reason, religion or common sense. How
much do civilization and every worthy accom-
plishment, how much the order and perfec-
ton Of heaven, peOpled as IL is with beings
who once walked among us in strange dis
guises, how much do these owe to the poor
fashions of this world, its chivaIrv and caste,
its scale of differences i'm responsibility and
worth, based upon the perishable distinctions
Of the hour. III time exposes, rs IL often
does, the uncharitableness and injustice of
human opinions, what startling revelations
must eternity make of lives passed here upon
| earth, under the shadows of great disgrace
while the motives that governed them were as
pure and stainless as the loves of the angels.
Leaving out all mysticism and speculation,
and all attempts at faith based upon
miracles alone, there is need OF a phil
osophy which deals only with the tangible
and the real. Something that the human
mind can comprehend and that is not fettered
and embarrassed with the disputations of
the schools. A philosophy that is nothing
more nor less than divine imprint found in
every heart, teac hing simply this: is better TO
| hsl, than 10 hurt zach other.
When the soul drifts away from its moor
ings, and from the touch and contact of time
and sense, whether IL he toward Immortality
or into the arms of an eternal sleep, the
sweet sense of some solace bestowed on weary
human hearts, the thought of fearful eyes
made radiant with exuitant hope, OF blessings
scattered like roses in the pathways OF misery
and despair, OF chains broken, and suffering
innocence redeemed and decentralization
in the hour or death are these the souls great
wealth, besides which all earthly riches are
the yeriesI dross, then with such conscious
ness us this will go out all there is of life with
out dismay, end peacefully as steals over
earth the golden radiance of evening at night
fall.
This is the new philosophy. Oh, poor life
wrapped up III love of gain alone The dead
eyes of Vanderbilt can see the shriveled arm
of want, his ears will heed its cry as well
today Us when alive. The poor and wretched
may rap upon the brazeu doors of the
immense and costly tomb where rest his
ashes, there will come from that mansOleum
of marble, that SarcOphaguS OF steel anC
iron, not his accustomed angry rebuke To the
opportunities of the poor, but the more pleas
ing response of perfect silence. Vanderbilt
dead is at least apprOachable, II not generous
Alive he was neither the one nor the other
Poor souls! Worship the Golden Jupiter If YOU
=, will! The most your riches selfishly accum-
! inundated and securely boarded will purchase
you at last, is a shroud. The poor man has that
Eaen one. as he approaches the gates g, q
, death, be he beggar or millionaire, will tally
one The passport to eternity Is not the mon
cy bag but the soul!
, sixty-elght years ago to day, al house tn,
sign Of the seven stars I'm the city OF BaltinOr,
was est iblshed the Independent Order of ODD
r Fellows in America. The appeal IL makes Il
all the kindly and generous impulses OF hui
man nature, the relief il has extended to mil
= lions of our fellow citizens, the peace ant
: harmony that universally prevails among il
msSsrs s e9Se IDEAL e pure a ana and mare
e worth, its loyalty to truth-its vigorous faitt
in human nature, its aii-pervading and sub
thing in life, ali characterize 1t as beinl
I founded on right, reason and a correct appreci
= alton of the wants Of mankind
There are two things the world most needs
and these Odd Fellowship directly incuicates
They are sencerity in friendship and charit.
p in private life In the last sixty-eight years /
, our order has made brighter and more perIna
Z ucut the links of brotherly love; If il ha
c watched over the lives OF millions OF its mem
4 bcrs and, taking them by the hand led then
through the dark and solemn avenues of al
versty and trial. IL IL has saved men iron
5 abandonment and shame by inviting heed Il
4 its lessons upon the uncertainty OF human life
!, upon the rewards of'virtue and upon the grie
and despair that vice and folly are sure 4
breed IL, in its Offices of affection and charity
a | IL has faithfully watched BY the couch OF Ian
. gushing and pain, aud whether in these kind
{ Iy InInistraIiuns IL has nursed to health O
h submitting to the DEGREES OF heaven, gathers
a cypress for the burial, IL IL has AT least COIN
forted, benefited and blessed, II wherever
! human soul has been oppressed with grief AN
misfortune II has so far as possible dispelle
a the darkness and restored the light of noon
day, II II has done all this and much more
then surely to recall TO memory the record
3 and history of so worthy an order will prov
: no Improbable pastime.
James l.. kidgley, who was born in Bait
e more, January q, 1897, and who died Nov II
u 1851, was the real founder of American Cd
II | Fellowship. His life was marvellous recon
~ OF pure living, and unusual beneVolence an
e good will toward all mankind.
3. When driven by tempests and storms froI
J., one alternative of safety to another, whe
society rs IL CONSCIOUS OF its own purity, with
d holds its protection from the poor and vi
"a fortunate, when the church has barred IL
- gates al the cry Of the lepar, when the poo
stOrui-beaten wanderer has had his hand tor
l. from the hand OF Christ by the weight of VI
d merited cursing and by the jeers of his fe
&c lows; then il was that Ridgey concluded tina
" there should be some retreat where the rOa
u of the worlds strife would never enter, wher
l. the olive branch takes the place OF the swor
r and around whose SACRED altars I'm perpetut
chorus the holy melodies of love arise.
" The object of Odd Fellowship Is to inculcat
If II reasonable friend ship. Friendship is usua
II Is very feeble or very eXtrayagant, and one
little more reliable than the other Mer
friendship is often SO tickle and transitOr
n that men become distrustful of 1t. IL is
fair, sweet, beautiful thing, u sigh breath he
= from the lips Of tender girl that is lost IN tn
IL whispers oI the breeze There is somethin
n more and better than this In a reasonabl
II friendshp-but friendship Ia be REASONABLE
: must be something more than a fine art In
F tended To dazzle and 6musc; IL must be
: | science to be studied. There must be a req
!, son for il, IL IL be permanent, mere emotio
: | of pity for some unfortunate fellow being, q
Is IL feeling OF alteration over some brilliai
If achievement are no evidence of SINGER
Il friendship: tn, y are emotional and invOluT
tary conditions of the human mind, as unlike
n and anchOrles5 as the wind. They are grounC
G cd in no sense OF duty, but come as u matte
l. of course and from necessity. When we Sc
q, in u man u disposition TO do right combine
Il with generous and Toying nature, though b
= have many faults, there Is no reason why b
, should be bufeted and deprived, because h
. thinks and acts differently from ourselves.
! To he sure there are many faults that n
y mantle OF friendship is broad enough to cover
:, There Is u perversity of moral sense, kind q
- dishonest and reckless dealing. u heartlcss dis
| regard of truth and Justice and u disposition
| f,l ,llrfu nd hat m fria i'm